It was really quite simple, actually. Once you establish that you will move teams based on championship atmosphere, you have to continue that trend.

So it was most likely decided that Boston College would play Union, a matchup that could happen, and that it was most likely decided that the best place for that matchup would be in Providence.

Once that happened, everything else fell into line.

I couldn’t see the committee leaving the East Regional with a matchup of North Dakota-Niagara. Nor could I see a matchup of Boston College-Minnesota State in the West Regional. So I think that the committee had to realize that BC and Union would boost atmosphere and attendance in the East Regional, while North Dakota and Minnesota State would do that for the West and Midwest regionals.

Let me address one issue again that everyone talks about every year: the five-team conference rule.

There are six WCHA teams this year and readers keep asking, why don’t we invoke the five-team conference rule and have intraconference games?

I have always thought, and precedence guides me, that if you can avoid intraconference games in the first round, no matter how many teams from that one conference are in the tournament, then you bracket to avoid it. The only time when you have an intraconference game in the regional semifinals is when you cannot avoid it at all.

Enjoy the games next weekend and see you next year for more Bracketology!

The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the “Flag” link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.

Please also keep “woofing,” taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.

Jayson Moy is a senior writer and has been with USCHO since its inception. He covered the ECAC from 1996 to 2003 and is the 2001 receipient of the ECAC Media Recognition Award. He has been writing Bracketology since 2004 and has never missed predicting the NCAA field.Tweets by @JaysonMoyUSCHO